Let's Get Down To Business
by shannyfish
Summary: J'onn and Alex have a heart to heart about what's bothering her. #20 - Summer of Supergirl Series 2016. Prompt: Super Sidekick - That's So Meta.


He'd watched her for years.

He'd trained her for far less.

Alex Danvers was in a horrible space when J'onn had first found her. She was spiraling and he knew that he couldn't just sit back and allow that to continue. He'd promised Jeremiah Danvers that he'd keep his family safe, his daughters safe...and Alex, she was who needed him most. She was the one who was the most like Jeremiah and unlike Kara, Alex was human.

There would come a day where Alex Danvers would need to defend herself and possibly assist her sister (though J'onn hoped that day never came), so he'd done what he felt like he needed and had trained her. He had trained her harder than any other DEO agent. He trained her to be able to take on aliens with superpowers, even though Alex was a human without superpowers. He'd encouraged her science background and had given her room to grow in so many ways that he felt like mattered...for her own future.

That was probably why every morning they still did this. It didn't matter if it was only one five minute session or one where he didn't think Alex was going to stop so he had to be the one to make an excuse for them to stop (unless they were interrupted first). They sparred in one of the rooms, which also helped them both with any issues they might need to work through.

Today was a day where J'onn found himself getting whacked by Alex a bit harder than expected. It was always a balance of figuring out if he was just not focusing and allowing this to become something more casual or if it was truly because Alex had something she was trying to work through. A jab to his shoulder, enough of an impact that he let out an audible grunt of dissatisfaction over. He grabbed her, upset slightly welling up inside of him, and easily flipped her onto her back. That didn't keep her down for more than a breath, J'onn glared a bit and then he saw it clearly in that moment… It reminded him so much of all the times he and Alex had spared when he'd let Kara believed that he'd been the one who had killed Astra. There was anger, upset, and it almost looked like grief inside of her.

"We've had a discussion about choosing coffee over sparring when needed," he said, his tone gentle and his facial features softening in turn.

But Alex's hands were up and she was ready to continue. "Today I need sparring," she insisted.

"What happened?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"It has to be Kara."

"It's not-"

And then he could sense it almost immediately, it was definitely Kara. He didn't know why he hadn't realized it earlier. "Kara is the only person in the universe that makes you act like this," he said. Alex seemed to be getting irritated at his pushing of the subject. He didn't care. This needed to be discussed. He'd made Alex carry secrets from Kara in the past and that had only made things harder. Now, all he wanted was for them to both be on good terms, all of the time. It was really the only way that he stayed sane...neither Danvers sister could handle not on good terms with the other...and it was just detrimental to the entire world. "Talk to me."

"It's stupid," Alex waved off and then sighed. She relaxed her stance and looked away, but J'onn could still see and sense the tension and upset within her. "Kara doesn't even realize I'm upset."

"Why didn't you tell her?"

"She thinks she's protecting me," Alex said as she looked his way.

J'onn gave a nod. He felt like he understood the issue or at least part of it. " _You_ are the one who's used to protecting her."

"I know that she's all about being Supergirl and that she's Kryptonian," Alex told him. "I'm happy for her...I'm happy that she feels like she can be herself, that she has this purpose as Supergirl…" She trailed off and he waited because he knew there would be more. "But you've trained me… I can handle myself...or else you wouldn't send me out there," Alex continued. "I'm not going to wait for her...or even you every time the DEO is faced with aliens…"

" _Ah_ ," he said, finally understanding exactly what the full issue was. "This is because of your arm." The day before, Alex and her team had gone out and had been surprised by a rather powerful alien who had somehow not broken Alex's arm, but had left a rather nasty bruise over entirety of the skin of her arm. Kara had completely made it more than it was, but J'onn had thought that the sisters were past that once they'd left the DEO. After all, Alex had been checked out by the DEO's doctors or else she wouldn't have left the base.

"Yes."

"Do you want me to talk to her?" he asked gently.

Alex's face crinkled up and she shook her head a moment later. "No…"

"You should talk to Kara."

"I-"

"You can't just let it go on like it is, Alex," J'onn insisted. "All those years ago when I recruited you...I already knew that you were a brilliant scientist...and when we met, I immediately saw the fire, determination, and the dedication inside of you. You worked so hard to get here. You're right, I wouldn't send you out into the field or has you as my second in command if I didn't have complete faith in your abilities…" His voice softened and he continued after a breath. "That said, Kara just cares about you...she was worried... _I_ was worried...but that doesn't mean that you should keep this to yourself. Talk to Kara."

"I-"

The door slid open and Vasquez was interrupting them before Alex could get her sentence out. "We've got reports of a group of aliens robbing a bank right in the middle of National City," Agent Vasquez told them.

J'onn just sighed and then nodded before walking towards the command center. "Let's reach out to Supergirl."

"Feels like a Monday," Alex commented lightly.

J'onn turned to her. "Get a team together and ready to head out."

"Yes, Sir."

There wasn't much time that had passed, but by the time that Alex and her team was ready to go, Kara had already apprehended the alien suspects and had them already in cells. He was about to have the team told to stand down, when beeping filled the control room and red filled screens. "What's going on?"

"Just a moment, Sir," Vasquez said. "You'll know as soon as I do."

Alex was behind him and Kara, as Supergirl, had somehow snuck up behind him as well. He glanced over at the two of them before looking back to Vasquez.

"Can we talk for a minute?" he heard Alex ask her sister.

"Of course."

Even though the Danvers sisters took their talk to the side and away from the others, J'onn could still hear them. Super hearing. It wasn't that he was purposely eavesdropping, it was more that he was waiting on Vasquez and he had a very invested interest to see that the sisters made things right between each other. Their lives actually depended on it, he couldn't have them not being completely focused and on their game in the field.

"What's up?" Kara asked.

"About what you said last night…"

There was clear confusion in Kara's voice now. "What? About wanting to binge watch 'Penny Dreadful' next?"

There was a long pause. "No," Alex corrected. "About me in the field...you said that you didn't want me basically doing my job unless you were there." She let out a quick sigh. "But Kara, I know what I'm doing. I've trained… I was doing this before you even knew about the DEO or put on-"

"Alex, I-I was just upset."

Silence.

"As much as sometimes I worry about you out there, I know you can do your job...that I wouldn't have ever become Supergirl if it wasn't for you. I've learned so much from you...and a big part of that has been our sparring sessions. I've seen you and J'onn and how you can hold your own."

"I just-"

"I hadn't meant to upset you. I didn't mean it. I'm sorry, Alex."

J'onn quickly peeked over his shoulder to see the two sisters embracing before looking back towards where Vasquez sat, her fingers flying across the keyboard. "We've got what sounds like Xenomorphs down in the warehouse district of National City."

"Xenomorphs? Seriously?" Alex questioned.

"I guess you have a go," J'onn said as he looked towards Alex and Kara. "Get your team." They practically assembled at the sound of his voice.

"Let's get down to business," Alex began.

"To defeat the Huns?"

J'onn immediately noticed that Benanti (who had seemingly just appeared next to him) had started to hum a tune. His eyes moved to her momentarily before back between Alex and Kara. He just needed to make sure that the Danvers sisters were really one hundred percent back to

Alex blinked. "No, it's...we're going after a cluster of Amblers…"

"No, it was a song."

Alex blinked again.

"Later, we're going to discuss this again _later_ ," Kara said with a wave of her hand and a bright smile. "So, let's get down to business."

* * *

The End.


End file.
